Another Authority Rebuffed
19-May-2008 06:51 PM Filed in: Opinions
It's time to rebuff this self proclaimed authority
and say MY piece. I've since had a number of days to
cool down a bit and I want to address this latest
letter I got from an over aggressive zealot.
Not that I feel I need to justify my decision, but maybe you have come to a similar fork in the road and you're trying to decide which route to take Maybe a friend has passed on the same message this guy pushed in my face and you are wondering if you should invest in a Carvewright or if you should buy or build a custom machine.
THE most important reason I chose a CarveWright was because of what the machine could do!! This is a remarkable tool. It can do a tremendous amount of carving right out of the box. Why would I want to build a machine from scratch and go through all those challenges? I want to carve wood - not see how much testosterone I could exude.
My second reason was the fact that there is an Apple Macintosh interface available. I'll admit that I'm a Mac enthusiast, but having a computer choice is more than just beneficial. There may come a time that I have to move to a PC platform - my investment is protected. The same holds true for someone on a PC. Maybe you'll get sick of dealing with Vista or want to use the same machine your offspring use. You know, get some computer help from the kids.. Your machine investment is protected and "Future Proofed". I think that this dual platform support also says volumes about the Carvewright people as well. I want to support and encourage companies that serve all types of users.
Reason number three is EASE OF USE. Yes, this machine has a bit of a learning curve, but what powerful tool doesn't? I set-up and programmed the real cnc machines for years and I have to tell you, when I got home from work, the last thing I wanted to do was more work. I like the integrated software. Why would I want to buy a third party software package and be at the mercy of yet another software company. These guys come and go or get bought out all the time. As long as there is a CarveWright, I'm gonna have a software package that caters exclusively to my needs.
Let's not forget the Carvewright/Compucarve community either. I spend lots of time on the various forums reading what guys have to say and taking in all the great ideas and listening to the chatter about our beloved machines. Some good, some bad, but a COMMUNITY just the same. You're not going to find that with a "one of a kind" or custom machine. You're going to be out in the cold and feel all alone. Yup, there's cnc forums but that custom machine is absolutely unique and there's comfort in numbers. I want to bond with my fellow carvers - not run around like a chicken trying to figure out how to do something or where I can find repair parts.
And of course, all these reasons lead me to something that only CarveWright can bring to the table and that's VALUE. The "build-yer-own" guys claim that you can get a better machine for a couple bucks less and that statement is technically true. However, when you add in the cost of the design software, tooling, and your time - the cost is way over that of a CW. How bout that scanning probe too? I've yet to see anything like that available for the "home brew" machines.
So, as you can see, I have lots of reasons for choosing the CarveWright CNC wood carving machine. There is so much more here than what initially meets the eye. THINK about this and I'm sure you'll come to the same conclusion. After all, thousands of us already have.
Not that I feel I need to justify my decision, but maybe you have come to a similar fork in the road and you're trying to decide which route to take Maybe a friend has passed on the same message this guy pushed in my face and you are wondering if you should invest in a Carvewright or if you should buy or build a custom machine.
THE most important reason I chose a CarveWright was because of what the machine could do!! This is a remarkable tool. It can do a tremendous amount of carving right out of the box. Why would I want to build a machine from scratch and go through all those challenges? I want to carve wood - not see how much testosterone I could exude.
My second reason was the fact that there is an Apple Macintosh interface available. I'll admit that I'm a Mac enthusiast, but having a computer choice is more than just beneficial. There may come a time that I have to move to a PC platform - my investment is protected. The same holds true for someone on a PC. Maybe you'll get sick of dealing with Vista or want to use the same machine your offspring use. You know, get some computer help from the kids.. Your machine investment is protected and "Future Proofed". I think that this dual platform support also says volumes about the Carvewright people as well. I want to support and encourage companies that serve all types of users.
Reason number three is EASE OF USE. Yes, this machine has a bit of a learning curve, but what powerful tool doesn't? I set-up and programmed the real cnc machines for years and I have to tell you, when I got home from work, the last thing I wanted to do was more work. I like the integrated software. Why would I want to buy a third party software package and be at the mercy of yet another software company. These guys come and go or get bought out all the time. As long as there is a CarveWright, I'm gonna have a software package that caters exclusively to my needs.
Let's not forget the Carvewright/Compucarve community either. I spend lots of time on the various forums reading what guys have to say and taking in all the great ideas and listening to the chatter about our beloved machines. Some good, some bad, but a COMMUNITY just the same. You're not going to find that with a "one of a kind" or custom machine. You're going to be out in the cold and feel all alone. Yup, there's cnc forums but that custom machine is absolutely unique and there's comfort in numbers. I want to bond with my fellow carvers - not run around like a chicken trying to figure out how to do something or where I can find repair parts.
And of course, all these reasons lead me to something that only CarveWright can bring to the table and that's VALUE. The "build-yer-own" guys claim that you can get a better machine for a couple bucks less and that statement is technically true. However, when you add in the cost of the design software, tooling, and your time - the cost is way over that of a CW. How bout that scanning probe too? I've yet to see anything like that available for the "home brew" machines.
So, as you can see, I have lots of reasons for choosing the CarveWright CNC wood carving machine. There is so much more here than what initially meets the eye. THINK about this and I'm sure you'll come to the same conclusion. After all, thousands of us already have.
Another Authority
09-May-2008 12:19 PM Filed in: Opinions
I got another email message from someone surfing the
internet and happened upon this website...
This gentleman thought it was necessary to let me know how misguided (my word - his was a bit less complimentary) I was because I choose to use a Carvewright instead of using one of the better approaches.
He claimed that I was working with a machine that just didn't have the power to do adequate wood carving and that I would be best served by either buying or making my own custom machine. One that I could control though the use of real G-Code. He also blasted me about the design software too, saying it was inferior and that it was closed and lacked proper standards.
I have to admit that this guy really rubbed me the wrong way. I don't mind that he had a strong opinion and he wanted to IMPOSE it upon me. But I do mind in how the message was delivered and how he assumed I was an idiot for making the choice I did.
I need a couple of days to think this over before I respond back.
This gentleman thought it was necessary to let me know how misguided (my word - his was a bit less complimentary) I was because I choose to use a Carvewright instead of using one of the better approaches.
He claimed that I was working with a machine that just didn't have the power to do adequate wood carving and that I would be best served by either buying or making my own custom machine. One that I could control though the use of real G-Code. He also blasted me about the design software too, saying it was inferior and that it was closed and lacked proper standards.
I have to admit that this guy really rubbed me the wrong way. I don't mind that he had a strong opinion and he wanted to IMPOSE it upon me. But I do mind in how the message was delivered and how he assumed I was an idiot for making the choice I did.
I need a couple of days to think this over before I respond back.
Qualify those Claims
23-Mar-2008 07:43 AM Filed in: Opinions
I got a nice letter from a fellow carving enthusiast
this morning. He stated that he wanted to help me by
telling me what the best of everything was. He
stressed that I keep an open mind that even though I
was advocating the Carvewright and Compucarve
systems, eventually I would come to see that there
were better products out there.
I don't take issue with what he had to say, nor do I dispute his right to feel that his experiences make him an authority. I honestly believe we are all entitled to our opinions and I will go down defending someone to uphold that right.
What I wish this gentleman would have done however, is to qualify his statements. In the advertising world, this is called confusing CLAIMS with FACTS. Stating "Windows XP is the best cnc operating system" is not a fact, but a claim. This doesn't mean that he doesn't feel that this is the best operating system because obviously he does or he wouldn't have made that statement. ...But tell me why you feel this way.
I was thinking about this letter and I began to wonder if I've made the same mistake... So I went through every inch of this website and read every thing one more time (this must be as least the 600th time) to see if I've made any claims.
Yes I have!! Many times. But in every instance I've explained why I feel the way I do. You may not agree with what I have to say, but at least you know why and how I came to my decision. This is important. You come away understanding how I think and my perspective might make you see things in a different light or from a different angle.
I truly want to thank this gentleman for writing. He helped me to see things and made me realize I need to double check my work. He also made me understand just how important it is to explain things fully. A tip and help site needs to keep these ideals at the forefront.
I plan to review more of what he wrote to me about. I can only learn from his experience.
I don't take issue with what he had to say, nor do I dispute his right to feel that his experiences make him an authority. I honestly believe we are all entitled to our opinions and I will go down defending someone to uphold that right.
What I wish this gentleman would have done however, is to qualify his statements. In the advertising world, this is called confusing CLAIMS with FACTS. Stating "Windows XP is the best cnc operating system" is not a fact, but a claim. This doesn't mean that he doesn't feel that this is the best operating system because obviously he does or he wouldn't have made that statement. ...But tell me why you feel this way.
I was thinking about this letter and I began to wonder if I've made the same mistake... So I went through every inch of this website and read every thing one more time (this must be as least the 600th time) to see if I've made any claims.
Yes I have!! Many times. But in every instance I've explained why I feel the way I do. You may not agree with what I have to say, but at least you know why and how I came to my decision. This is important. You come away understanding how I think and my perspective might make you see things in a different light or from a different angle.
I truly want to thank this gentleman for writing. He helped me to see things and made me realize I need to double check my work. He also made me understand just how important it is to explain things fully. A tip and help site needs to keep these ideals at the forefront.
I plan to review more of what he wrote to me about. I can only learn from his experience.